The argument that Douglass’ novella is unbelievable must be considered in perspective with his purpose for writing the piece. The most important thing to remember about a novella is that it is fundamentally deliberate: it is so short, there is no room for anything without a purpose. Parts I and II read more as a sermon than as a story, where Frederick Douglass seizes a historical legend, Madison Washington and the mutiny aboard Creole, and turns him into the mascot for the abolitionist movement. Taken in the context of time and purpose, it is asy to view the Listwells as models for human kindness and practical guides for progress. Washington is his inculpable eminence, politically humanized (see how he defies rationality and freedom to rescue his wife in the third section) just enough to inspire readers to his humanitarian cause. In an external speech, Douglass uses the same lyrical speech we find in The Heroic Slave to elevate Washington’s life (“the spirit that is in the black man”) to saintly heights. “While my wife is a slave I cannot be free. … I will go to Virginia and snatch my wife from the bloody hands of the oppressor!” he cries.
In this fashion Washington’s tale is used by Douglass in the long-standing theme of the author’s life: to incite abolitionists to action. The introduction confirms Douglass’ success with this particular iteration of the Madison Washington tale: “After the publication… Douglass achieved international fame as a spokesman for liberty and equality.” He enjoys a career of traveling a motivational speech circuit from the momentum of this piece. We cannot argue that The Heroic Slave is an unbelievable piece because the point is not valid. The novella has too noble a cause for the trivialities and restrains of reality.
I strongly agree with your analysis of the piece especially the last point you made about how we cannot argue that The Heroic Slave is an unbelievable piece. The novella I believe was intended to be distanced from the trivialities and restraints of reality because of its inherent purpose: to incite a call to action on the part of abolitionists. What a better way to incite such a call than to publish a story filled with an air of heroic archetypes and what we see as unlikely scenarios which at the time of publication would've questioned the conscience not of those who deeply harbor injustice, but find fault with it but "dare not speak of it."
ReplyDeleteBut then this bodes another question: can the same effect be generated with a different author but with similar writing style? Could we feel a connection and understand the reason for writing the Heroic Slave if a prominent white abolitionist had written this piece? The answer, I believe, is no because the beauty of this story is that it captures not only the emotions and optimism of Listwell and Madison but primarily that of Frederik Douglas and it is in this that makes the story truly profound.